Former India batter Sunil Gavaskar shared his thoughts on whether MS Dhoni may have extended his Indian Premier League (IPL) career one season too many. The legendary wicketkeeper-batter, who turns 44 this July, featured in his 18th IPL season in 2025.
Dhoni returned to captain the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after Ruturaj Gaikwad was sidelined midway through the tournament due to injury. However, he couldn’t inspire a turnaround, as CSK failed to qualify for the playoffs. It marked the first time the franchise exited in the league stage in consecutive seasons.
Speaking on Dhoni’s decision-making, Gavaskar emphasised that Dhoni prioritises the franchise over personal gain.
“Any player makes decisions not so much for himself, but for what is likely to be good for the team. Whatever decision MSD made about playing this season would have been based solely on what’s best for CSK,” Gavaskar said in an exclusive chat with Sports Today.
“Any future decision he takes will also depend entirely on what’s good for CSK—not necessarily what’s good for himself.”
Gavaskar also offered pointed advice on how the Super Kings can bounce back in the next edition of the T20 league. The first batter to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket, Gavaskar stressed the importance of revamping CSK’s auction approach—particularly with a sharper focus on bowling talent.
